How about something from GODDESS WITH A BLADE (which is, by the way on sale at the Apple bookstore)? This frenemy is less like a Paris/Lilo relationship and more like enemies who might just like each other a little…

Rowan Summerwaite is no ordinary woman. Physical vessel to the Celtic Goddess Brigid and raised by the leader of the Vampire Nation, she’s a supercharged hunter with the power to slay any vampire who violates the age-old treaty.

A recent string of murders has her at odds with Las Vegas’s new Scion, the arrogant and powerful Clive Stewart. The killings have the mark of Vampire all over them, and Rowan warns Clive to keep his people in line—or she’ll mete out her own brand of justice.

Though her dealings with Clive are adversarial to say the least, Rowan is intensely aware of her attraction to him. But she can’t let it distract her from her duty—to find and battle the killer before more women die.

GODDESS WITH A BLADE by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2011, Lauren Dane
Available in Digital Formats from Carina Press (coming to trade paper December 2013)

Rowan pulled the Porsche into the VIP lot behind the Corsican. The casino was at the far end of the Strip and catered to a younger, edgier clientele. It also housed the Vampyre Theatre.

While the Lucky Seven had the hottest buffet in Vegas, the groupie line-up backstage at the VT was the best Vampire buffet in the entire state. If you liked to snack on skanks who needed to touch up their roots and should not have gotten tattoos from friends working out of their garages.

Annoyed young women in far too little clothing gave Rowan dirty looks as she cruised past them and through the back door. The bouncers didn’t stop her but she knew they’d called Marv the minute she had her car parked.

She breezed past the ticket booth and took a seat at a table to the left of the stage and declined the drink but accepted the bottled water. They wouldn’t dare attempt to harm her. But she still didn’t plan to lower her reaction time with alcohol either.

The Vampyre Theatre put on a live show complete with fire, bare tits, shaking asses and audience participation. The entire audience thought the Vampires were actors with fake teeth and theatrical makeup. Humans were fascinated with many things they should fear. They went to the show to be fed on as a lark. Oh, and to look at the boobs. One really couldn’t underestimate the draw of naked breasts in any city, especially Las Vegas.

Rowan knew for a fact the fake feedings from audience members were real. Technically, that broke the treaty. All blood exchange with humans had to be consensual and knowing. But she couldn’t stop everything and she didn’t hate Marv enough to stake him over it. In fact, though she’d never admit it out loud, she sort of liked him and the banter they’d honed over the years.

She watched the first part of the show and after half an hour, satisfied they’d all seen she was back at work, got up and left side stage.

The big man waited, arms crossed, blocking her way as she entered the backstage area.

“Hunter. What are you doing here?”

“Did you miss me?” She fluttered her lashes at him.

“Like the fuckin’ clap.”

“I thought you people didn’t get social diseases,” she said, deadpan. “Which, if you don’t mind my saying so, is a good thing given the quality of um, women you’ve got lined up out there. Mere humans would be burning and itching and stuff.” She shuddered.

“Ha. What are you doing here?”

“Just a hello and friendly reminder that taking blood from humans without their knowledge is a violation of the treaty. It’d be a shame if any of those lovely young women got hurt.”

“If we did that—and I’m not saying we do—they consent when they come in the front door. The ticket says they may be called up on stage to be fed to a Vampire.”

She shook her head. “Don’t try to be a lawyer, Marv. Knowing and consensual. Those are the rules. I’d hate to have to come in here every night and watch you juggle fire sticks. Although you know, I was thinking that what this show needed were Vampire poodles jumping through flaming hoops. I’d so totally dig that.”

The glower was back. “Fine. Now go, you’re harshing my buzz. Or are you in charge of that now, too?”

She blew him a kiss as she walked past. “Oh, Marv, how I’ve missed you and your wit! I don’t care about your buzz. But if I’m harshing it, that’s just a wonderful benefit of my job. I’ll be seeing you around. Behave yourself.”

Slipping the valet a five, she slid into her unscathed car and headed out to the other end of the Strip. She had an appointment to meet a contact who supposedly had some hot information for her.

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